Comeback is on the other foot

PANTHERS 3, SHARKS 2

After becoming the first team in league history to win three straight games in regulation when trailing after two periods, the Sharks found themselves on the other side of a late comeback Saturday.

The visiting Panthers got a game-tying goal from Shawn Matthias 5:01 into the third, then a game-winner from Bryan Allen 2:46 into overtime, overcoming a two-goal deficit to beat the Sharks 3-2 at HP Pavilion.

"We got off to a much better start tonight which was good," San Jose's Joe Pavelski said. "That was one thing we addressed. Now we have to figure out how to play with the lead."

"We came out and had a little fire in our belly and played extremely hard in the first period," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "But we let it get away from us. That's the inconsistency in our game right now. Obviously they heard the message at the start but now we reversed the trend and didn't finish real well."

Just more than five minutes into the game, the Sharks got on the board when Clowe took the puck near the boards and skated to the middle of the ice, beating Vokoun with a wrist shot through the pads. It was the first time in 10 games that San Jose had scored first.

The Sharks added to the lead late in the first, when Marleau one-timed a pass from Pavelski for his 41st goal.

"The first period, it looked like men with boys," Panthers coach Peter DeBoer said. "Then we found our legs and got our game going and thought we did a good job coming back against arguably the best team in the league."

Matthias scored the equalizer off a spin move, then set up the game-winner in overtime, when he won a face-off and set a screen for Allen, whose shot from the point beat Sharks goalie Thomas Greiss.

"We're playing desperate hockey right now," Matthias said. "We're still trying to make the playoffs. Everybody was giving it their all."

The Panthers, who have won four of five, are six points behind Boston for the final playoff spot in the East. The Sharks earned one point, and took a three point lead on Chicago for first in the West.

Murray injury: San Jose recalled Jason Demers to replace Douglas Murray, who is day to day after being hit in the skate by a slap shot Thursday.